Actes secures funds to host Dementia Friendly screenings Middlesbrough charity Actes has further demonstrated its commitment to local people living with dementia, after securing funding to host five Dementia Friendly film screenings over the coming year. The Tees Valley Community Foundation has awarded funding to Actes to cover the cost of hosting the events at its Acklam Green Centre facility, following the success of two pilot screenings in the centre’s Roseberry Hall earlier this year, which were delivered in partnership with Cleveland Alzheimers Residential Centre Limited (Cleverarc) who are lead for Dementia Friendly Middlesbrough project.Feedback from the two pilot events was so positive that Actes and Cleverarc decided they would like to host more regular screenings to help combat the likelihood of isolation among those living locally with dementia who find it difficult to access mainstream cinemas because of how busy they are. Actes, which works closely with communities across Tees Valley to tackle issues through the delivery of tailored support and training programmes, is committed to being Dementia Friendly; Actes staff have completed dementia awareness training and its two business and community centres, the Acklam Green Centre and the Resource Centre, have been assessed against the dementia friendly physical environment checklist to ensure they are dementia friendly. Carol Kerr, business manager for Actes who managed the funding bid, said: “We are delighted to have secured funds from Tees Valley Community Foundation to host five dementia friendly screenings at our Acklam Green Centre facility. As a charity Actes is committed to working with the communities in which we operate to reduce loneliness and isolation, and these screenings which provide the opportunity for people living with dementia and their carers to meet and interact with others, do just that.”Brian Rowcroft, Dementia Friendly Middlesbrough Business Engagement Lead, said: “It’s fantastic that Actes sees the importance of supporting people living with dementia in the Middlesbrough community and has gone about securing funds to host more regular screenings after the pilot events were so well received. “These bespoke screenings work really well as we are able manage the number of attendees so that the room does not feel overcrowded, volume and light can be adjusted when needed, mini-breaks can take place whenever required and people are encouraged to express themselves freely. These factors all contribute to enabling people living with dementia to enjoy a cinema experience in a safe and comfortable environment.”Donna Smith, facilities manager at Acklam Green Centre, said: “The Acklam Green Centre offers versatile space for all kinds of events and our Roseberry Hall with its racked seating and AV system is ideal for these screenings. We look forward to welcoming members of the local community over the course of the next year.”The first dementia friendly screening, a showing of Grease, took place on Wednesday 8th August at Acklam Green Centre and the remainder are scheduled to take place during school holidays throughout 2018-19. Due to size of the venue the screenings are invitation only.For further information about Dementia Friendly Middlesbrough visit www.dementiafriendlymiddlesbrough.co.uk or email browcroft@clevearc.comFor further information about Actes please contact Tel: 01642 858 050, Email: info@actes.co.uk or visit the website www.actes.co.uk. Follow Actes Trust on Twitter @ActesTrust

A DEMENTIA-Friendly pantomime performance has been deemed such a success organisers are already looking to arrange another for panto season 2018-19!

Dementia Friendly Middlesbrough approached the team at the town’s theatre with the idea of holding a specially-adapted performance of last season’s pantomime Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The organisation supports businesses and public facilities to become Dementia Friendly, offering awareness raising sessions and providing resources and an accreditation process, which Middlesbrough Theatre had already undertaken.

The aim is to help people living with dementia to remain active and included members of their community, maintaining their independence for as long as possible and to continue enjoying activities they always have.

The team at Middlesbrough Theatre were enthusiastic about the idea and set about organising the show. Representatives of Dementia Friendly Middlesbrough watched a performance and noted which changes could help make the pantomime dementia friendly.

Brian Rowcroft of Dementia Friendly Middlesbrough said: “Pantomime can be an experience with sensory overload – it’s loud and there can be bright lights and bright colours.

“But it is also very much a family event and something all the generations like to enjoy together. That’s why we thought having a performance where people living with dementia, their families and friends could all enjoy would be a good idea.

“Middlesbrough Theatre were fantastic. They worked with the cast and production crew, who were also superb, to ensure the performance met the needs of the people in the audience.

“To help make the performance dementia-friendly the sound levels were taken down and the house lights were taken up slightly so it wasn’t so dark. There was an element in the original performance where one of the comic characters sprayed water and we felt that might not be appropriate, and so that was taken out.

“It was all smashing and more than 260 people went along and enjoyed the show. We’re already looking forward to next year!”

David Kime from Middlesbrough Theatre said: “We were delighted to work alongside Dementia Friendly Middlesbrough to develop this performance. It was a huge success and we are already looking to next year and what we can do then.”

The performance was also praised on social media by one of the show’s stars, Adele Silva (of Kelly Windsor from Emmerdale fame) who played Snow White. Writing on Twitter she said: “Lovely audience in for our #dementiafriendly show this afternoon – Well done @Mbrotheatre for recognising this.”

Middlesbrough Theatre’s next dementia friendly performance is Hooray for Hollywood on Thursday 21st June at 2.30pm. The show features songs from the golden age of Hollywood.

A musical play which promises quality hours filled with the most memorable Hollywood melodies, “Hooray for Hollywood” recreates the glitz of the Roaring Twenties and features popular classic Hollywood hits such as Top Hat, Let’s Face the Music, There’s no Business like Show Business, Putting’ On the Ritz, Cheek to Cheek, Singing in the Rain and many more.

Tickets are £20.50 / Concession £17 (Includes Booking Fee) and available from the Box Office on 01642 81 51 81 or can be booked online at www.middlesbroughtheatre.co.uk

Learning Curve Group were delighted to attend a presentation at Middlesbrough Council, in which eight members of their staff received their certificates for completing our Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Dementia Care qualification, presented to them by the Mayor Dave Budd. Mayor Budd said: “It is great to see how deeply involved the library service have been in trying to achieve a dementia friendly council here in Middlesbrough through the Certificate in the Principles of Dementia Care. I am impressed by their dedication to improving their knowledge and skills.”

The Certificate in the Principles of Dementia Care qualification provides learners with an appreciation and understanding of the different forms of dementia that may be encountered and gives learner’s the knowledge and skills they need to be able to support individuals with this condition through person-centred care. Jenny O’Donnelly was one of the eight Middlesbrough Council learners to complete the course, she said: “I found this course really beneficial to my working day. It has given me the confidence and knowledge to interact with those who are suffering from Dementia.”

Brenda McLeish, Chief Executive of Learning Curve Group, said: “We work with over 4,500 UK employers, and our distance learning programmes have enjoyed great success. They support people to gain the skills that make a real and lasting difference to their careers, while helping the businesses they work for become more efficient and productive. It’s great to see that Middlesbrough Council have a clear vision, similar to our own, to create a better city through quality education and increasing employment.”

Here at Learning Curve Group we have a range of health and social care qualifications which are ideal for those looking to, or who are currently working within a care environment. For a list of qualifications we offer, please visit our website here http://www.learningcurvegroup.co.uk/employers/vocational-qualifications/health-and-social-care-qualifications/

A Christmas Party organised by Teesside University Student Volunteers for older people and people living with dementia in Middlesbrough.

There will be a buffet, lots of cups of tea, the odd mince pie, a raffle, bingo (of course) a quiet break out room with other activities such as dominos. There will also be a DJ playing Christmas carols and to top it all there will be live music for sing along and dancing (50’s theme) for anyone with dancing shoes on.